Google, Verizon Take Net Neutrality Fight to Op-Ed Pages

Google and Verizon took to the op-ed page of The Washington Post Tuesday to defend their joint net neutrality proposal.

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Google and Verizon took to the op-ed page of The Washington Post Tuesday to defend their joint net neutrality proposal.

"What has kept us at the table and moving toward compromise was our mutual interest in a robust Internet and our recognition that progress would occur only when players from across the Internet space work together," wrote Google chief executive Eric Schmidt and Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg.

After much speculation, Verizon and Google on Monday unveiled a proposal for how they believe the issue of net neutrality should be handled. It backed an open Internet for the Web, but would exempt the wireless industry from any regulation at this time. It also provided an exemption for emerging technologies.

The plan is not something that Verizon and Google will put into effect. It is a plan the duo hope a member of Congress or the FCC might adopt in the form of a bill or rulemaking process.

"Consumers should be able to choose any lawful content, services or applications they want," the CEO's wrote. "Our proposed policy presumes that prioritization of Internet traffic -- such as slowing down delivery of one video file so another's arrives more quickly -- is harmful."

The wireless industry, however, has "unique technical and operational challenges, demanding different consideration than wireline networks." Providers should be exempt from net neutrality regulation at this point, but they should be transparent about their activities and be subject to regular review by Congress, Schmidt and Seidenberg wrote.

Google, of course, is behind the growing Android mobile operating system, an OS that is featured on many phones running on the Verizon network, so having this industry unregulated would likely benefit both companies.

The CEO's also provided a loophole for "additional services."

"Internet service providers should also have a fair amount of flexibility to manage their networks and the opportunity to provide additional services - such as telework applications, health monitoring services or optimized gaming - so long as these services do not affect consumers' ability to simply access their favorite sites over the open Internet offerings that this framework would protect," they said.

Schmidt and Seidenberg concluded by stressing that their plan is just one option.

"No two companies should be so presumptuous as to think they can solve this challenge alone," they wrote. "We hope that our proposal provides some concrete ideas to move this process forward."

Chloe Albanesius has been with PCMag.com since April 2007, most recently as Executive Editor for News and Features. Prior to that, she worked for a year covering financial IT on Wall Street for Incisive Media. From 2002 to 2005, Chloe covered technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University...
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